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When to plant beets

Beet family, Beta vulgaris

Spacing
3″ apart
Per sq ft
9
To harvest
50–70 days
Frost
Light frost OK

Companion plants for beets

What to grow next to beets, what to keep away, and what is only tradition. Every pairing says how strong the evidence is.

Grow together 7

Helps, or shares the bed well.

  • Bush bean Practical Beets and bush beans use different soil depths and seldom compete.

    Source: Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023. Bush bean guide

  • Onion Practical Both are compact and slow; they share a bed without crowding.

    Onion guide

  • Garlic Practical Both are compact and slow; they share a bed without crowding.

    Garlic guide

  • Lettuce Practical Different shapes and rooting depths; easy to interplant.

    Lettuce guide

  • Red leaf lettuce Practical Different shapes and rooting depths; easy to interplant.

    Red leaf lettuce guide

  • Cabbage Practical Similar timing and spacing make them easy row partners.

    Cabbage guide

  • Kohlrabi Practical Similar timing and spacing make them easy row partners.

    Kohlrabi guide

Tradition only 1

On many charts, with little or no evidence.

  • Pole bean Tradition Said to harm Listed as incompatible in old charts; no evidence.

    Pole bean guide

Studied Field or lab research shows an effect, at least under some conditions.
Mixed Some studies find an effect, others don’t, or it only works in a narrow way.
Practical Explained by light, space, timing, support or a shared pest or disease.
Tradition Widely repeated, but with little or no evidence behind it.

See every pairing side by side in the companion planting chart, or try them in a bed with the garden planner.

When to plant beets by city

Sow beets outdoors from 4 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last frost. For a fall crop, sow 8–10 weeks before your first fall frost. Here is what that means for 2027 in cities across the US, using each city’s average frost dates (NOAA 1991–2020). Pick the city with the climate most like yours, or enter your ZIP code above.

City Last frost Sow outdoors Fall crop
Seattle, WA (9a) Mar 13 Feb 13 – Mar 27 Sep 8–22
Portland, OR (8b) Feb 25 Jan 28 – Mar 11 Sep 22 – Oct 6
Sacramento, CA (9b) Jan 12 Dec 15 – Jan 26 Oct 7–21
Phoenix, AZ (10a) Jan 5 Dec 8 – Jan 19 Oct 25 – Nov 8
Salt Lake City, UT (7b) Mar 31 Mar 3 – Apr 14 Aug 30 – Sep 13
Denver, CO (6a) Apr 30 Apr 2 – May 14 Aug 3–17
Dallas, TX (8b) Mar 2 Feb 2 – Mar 16 Sep 20 – Oct 4
Minneapolis, MN (5a) Apr 23 Mar 26 – May 7 Aug 7–21
Kansas City, MO (6b) Apr 4 Mar 7 – Apr 18 Aug 24 – Sep 7
Chicago, IL (6b) Apr 10 Mar 13 – Apr 24 Aug 27 – Sep 10
Columbus, OH (6b) Apr 20 Mar 23 – May 4 Aug 15–29
Nashville, TN (7b) Apr 1 Mar 4 – Apr 15 Aug 22 – Sep 5
Atlanta, GA (8a) Mar 24 Feb 24 – Apr 7 Aug 30 – Sep 13
Raleigh, NC (8a) Mar 28 Feb 28 – Apr 11 Aug 30 – Sep 13
Philadelphia, PA (7b) Mar 30 Mar 2 – Apr 13 Sep 8–22
Boston, MA (7a) Apr 4 Mar 7 – Apr 18 Aug 31 – Sep 14

In frost-free parts of Florida, southern California and the Gulf Coast, timing is about heat instead: grow beets from fall through winter.

Beet spacing

In a square-foot bed, plant 9 per square foot. In traditional rows, space plants about 3 inches apart with 12 inches between rows.

Each seed is a cluster. Thin seedlings to one per spot.

One square foot planted with beets, as drawn in the planner.

How to grow beets

Beets are a cool-season crop that gives two harvests: sweet roots and tender greens. They grow quickly in spring and fall and tolerate light frost. The main thing to know is that each wrinkled "seed" is a cluster that sprouts several seedlings, so thinning is essential.

Sun and soil

Full sun (part shade is fine if you mainly want greens). Loose, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0; beets do poorly in acidic soil. Keep the surface evenly moist.

Planting

  1. Sow ½ inch deep from 4 weeks before to 2 weeks after the last frost. Seeds sprout slowly in cold soil and best once it reaches 50°F.
  2. Thin to one seedling every 3 inches in rows 12 inches apart. Snip extras with scissors rather than pulling, and eat them as greens.
  3. Sow again every 2–3 weeks for a steady supply.
  4. For fall, sow 8–10 weeks before the first fall frost.

Care

  • Water evenly; dry spells make roots woody and cracked.
  • Weed by hand and shallowly; beets compete poorly and their roots are close to the surface.
  • Side-dress lightly with nitrogen about 6 weeks after the seedlings emerge.

Harvest

Pull roots at 1½–3 inches across, usually 50–70 days from sowing. Larger roots tend to be fibrous. Pick greens at 4–6 inches tall. Twist off tops, leaving an inch of stem so roots do not bleed. Roots keep for months near 32°F with high humidity.

Common problems

  • Cercospora leaf spot: Small round spots with purple edges, most common late in the season. Remove spotted leaves, avoid wetting foliage, and rotate.
  • Leafminers: Tan, blotchy tunnels in leaves. Pick off mined leaves and use row cover in spring.
  • Small or misshapen roots: Usually crowding. Thin early and thoroughly.
  • Black spots inside roots: A sign of boron shortage, most likely in sandy or heavily limed soil. Test soil and correct as recommended.

Varieties to try

  • 'Detroit Dark Red' — standard deep red, good for canning
  • 'Early Wonder' — quick, also grown for its greens
  • 'Chioggia' — Italian heirloom with red-and-white rings
  • 'Touchstone Gold' — golden flesh that does not bleed

Crop rotation

Beets belong to the beet family (Amaranthaceae). Beets, chard and spinach share leaf spot diseases. Relatives that count as the same family for rotation: swiss chard, spinach.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant beets?
Sow beets outdoors from 4 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last frost. For a fall crop, sow 8–10 weeks before your first fall frost. Type your ZIP code above for exact dates, or see the city table.
What grows well with beets?
Good neighbors for beets include bush bean, onion, garlic, lettuce, red leaf lettuce and cabbage. Each one is listed above with the reason and how strong the evidence is.
How far apart should I plant beets?
In rows, space beets about 3 inches apart with rows 12 inches apart. In a square-foot bed, plant 9 per square foot.
How long do beets take to grow?
About 50–70 days from sowing to first harvest, depending on the variety and the weather.
Can beets handle frost?
Beets tolerate a light frost but not a hard freeze. Cover them if temperatures will drop into the mid-20s °F.

Sources

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